I've been teaching both in person and online workshops for almost twenty years now. You can find out more about my classes by scrolling down along the right hand side of my blog. I strive to make classes accessible to everyone (both beginner to advanced).

I love teaching and truly believe that deep down inside everyone is an artist, capable of creating something. There is power and knowledge in the act of creating something with your own hands, made from your own heart and head.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net

Thanks for stopping by!

-Kelly

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Here's a peek at a journal page that I finished today. I used a combination of scrapbook papers, book and magazine pages. I'll show you the finished page soon.I spent some time today sorting through my collage ephemera bag. I like to go through my collage stuff every now and then, figuring out what I want to work with now and putting away what I don't feel like using. It's like a kid rotating her toys, but it works for me. I store my current paper ephemera in an Eagle Creek shoe cube. I put my focal images on the top, then background paper, scrapbook paper and transparencies last (these are cut in half, along with the scrapbook paper).I'm having a very hard time coming to grip with tomorrow being June 1st. I keep thinking, "How did that happen?" I'm teaching my Content: an Artist's Life Journal this Friday at Zinnia. Looking forward to it! More info here:http://kellykilmerworkshops.blogspot.com/Happy Tuesday!

Tristan and I went to see Thor today. It was fun! We saw it at the AMC Theater in Burbank. Sad thing is, the print was messed up. Lines kept running through the center of the screen. It was making me crazy. We sat through it (I kept thinking, I'm not leaving. I don't want to miss anything) but complained to the management at the end. We weren't the only ones nicely complaining and they were really cool about giving us free passes for a future screening of whatever we want to see. Yay! FYI, always sit through the credits of a Marvel film. ALWAYS. That's all I'll say. "Avengers Assemble!" (I can't wait!!!) Next on the big box office to see list is Green Lantern (Tristan keeps asking about it). Hubby and I want to see The Tree of Life. I also want to see Midnight in Paris.

I took Tristan to the Lego store in Glendale. We ended up spending almost four hours there (I am NOT a mall person) and he walked out with new Lego and I walked out (not at the lego store) with a few new dresses (sale-yes!). I haven't bought new clothes in well over a year or two so this was a rare treat! Now we're off to veg for the rest of the night, watch films and just relax. Grateful for a nice Saturday with my boy!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Happy Weekend! I'm off this weekend. I'm going to back away from the virtual world a little bit (I'll still post this weekend on my blog but it may be pictures only or something very brief). I'll be around to answer questions for any of my online students and emails, etc... but it won't be as quick as I usually do. I need a bit of time away from the internet so while I'll still be around this weekend, it won't be as much. I need some family and journal time. I'm not sure what we're doing yet. Tristan wants to go to see Thor. Sunday is the Farmer's Market in Larchmont Village that we usually go to when I'm not teaching. I have a pile of books to read and a new journal that's itching to be worked in. How about you, anything that you are looking forward to?

I haven't shared any links in a wee bit, so I thought I'd do a short (but sweet) Blog Love:

Thursday, May 26, 2011

I'm two pages in on this journal. (I'll be showing you those pages soon.) I decided that I'd work on the cover tonight. I'm not in love with it yet, but that's okay. I have time to work on it. I stress to my students that your journal is your place to experiment and make a mess. I'll post the cover when I'm done with it. What are you working on?

Payments for the Fremont, CA workshop must be made in advance. Due to the fact that the teacher is traveling from Los Angeles and must prep for the workshops in advance, there are no cancellations allowed. No refunds.

You may send someone else in your place if you are unable to attend the workshop, or you will receive a kit for the class. You can either pay via paypal (see button below) or send a check or money order.

Once you've signed up for the workshop, you will be sent the address and directions to the workshop location. If you have ANY questions you can email me. I will also give you my cell phone number so you contact me.

The Schedule is:

Friday, July 8th

FUNdamentals of Texture 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

followed by

Layers of Colorfrom 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

*****

Special two day class Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th

Saturday Class hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday class hours are 9 a.m. to Noon

Personal Mythologies

To sign up, please use the paypal button here or you can email me at Egorey99@sbcglobal.net for more info

I hope to see you there!

Fremont July 2011 Classes

Class Descriptions:

Friday, July 8th (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

FUNdamentals of Texture

Who says that you can only use paint to create texture? In this class you will create a multitude of backgrounds (sans paint) while exploring hands on various texture techniques. Be prepared to layer, learn and have fun in this with a variety of mediums. The possibilities are endless and I will teach you everything I know while putting the FUN in the fundamentals of texture!

Supply list: journal (or the instructor will have paper for you to work on),scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks

followed by (from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.)

Layers of Color

I’m an artist obsessed with color! We will dive glue stick first into a visual delight of color. Think you’ve seen it all? Experiment while you create lusciously layered pages. Learn what works, what doesn’t and how to fix so called mistakes (there are no mistakes, only learning opportunities!). This workshop will expand your knowledge of color!

Supply list: journal (or the instructor will have paper for you to work on),scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks

Every time we crack open a journal, we are telling our own unique story.

In this very special two day workshop, you will learn not only how to create your very own personal journal made by your own hands but also how to express yourself fully and in the moment upon the pages of your newly bound book.

You will work in your journal both days. I will be teaching you a variety of techniques, ideas and prompts to use in your journal. You will have lots of instructional time but also between each idea, I allow for guided play time, but I do teach both days. The second day is not a play day.

Expect to learn: bookbinding and constructing a personal journal, choosing a journal that fits you, making a journal your own, mixed media collage, composition, design, pen work, layering, journaling, self expression (how do I say what I want to say), making a page work and much, much more.

Be prepared to walk out with a new journal, several pages completed, a detailed handout and your head (and heart) bursting with inspiration, new ideas, possibilities and the knowledge that you can successfully express yourself in journal form! You will love this journal and this experience!

Supply list: A hardcover book (any size) to use as the journal (note, we will be tearing pages out of our books and sharing some of our pages in class). I will have some books for you to use, but in case you have a book you’d really like to use, please bring it.Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

This is one of my favorite pages. I love the dancing girl image. She didn't fit on the page, so I chopped off her legs and saved them for another page."Just be yourself."I see a lot of artists imitating other artists. I'm not one of those artist teachers who puts that kind of thing down. Imitation is good when you are learning something. In fact, it's what the old masters taught. They understood the benefit of learning the techniques and the tools of the trade. They understood that this is a process and something that is not learned overnight. Learning takes time, patience and understanding. Time to perfect your skill. We are forever learning. Patience to work things through and to understand that things aren't always perfect. Nor should they be.Understanding when you have to take what you've learned and make it your own. Understanding that life is all about learning and changing. We are not a stagnant lifeform. We are always growing and changing. We are always becoming something new.Our art should reflect this as much as our lives reflect it.Something to ponder and to think about. That's the great thing about keeping a journal. It's our place to experiment with all of this stuff and to express ourselves. It's our place to be and become better people and artists. It's our place to simply be our unique selves.

Monday, May 23, 2011

It always seems to go from famine to feast when it comes to books.Money has been very tight the last few months. So, when I had a little extra, I went a little crazy and bought four books and a magazine. I can't help it when it comes to books. I've chosen books over food in the past. I'm that smitten with print. Some women buy shoes or new clothes, I wear my clothes and shoes until they fall apart and buy books instead. Used bookstores are my family's favorite hangout spot.I subscribe to Uppercase magazine. It's one of the very few magazines that I subscribe to (Anthology is the other one). In December, I received a gift of their book subscription service (Lisa Congdon's a Collection a Day is one of the books) . Well worth it! I have all of their books and their magazines. I love their publications. If you are in the San Francisco or Los Angeles area, they are looking for help at their booth at the Renegade Fair this summer. I'm teaching the weekend of their L.A. fair or else I would be there!Other books above:-Girls Fashion Style London (Taylor, I couldn't resist.) I love Paumes books.-Masters: Book Arts-this is amazing. Inspiration on every single page. A must have if you are a paper or book artist.-Lovers by Peynet-charming, heartfelt drawings. Every page makes my heart go pitter latter.-The Stylist's Guide to NYC-Sibella Court's new guide book to New York City. I'll have this with me in August when I visit The Ink Pad. I can't wait!-Stampington's Where Women Cook-I love this publication. I may do a separate post on why I love it. Many, many reasons. It is my favorite Stampington publication.-Drawn In by Julia Rothman-Julia's Book By Its Cover blog is one of my favorites. I adore her sketchbook series. This book is the second best thing to holding the real journals in your hand. Yum. Huge thank yous to my friend who gifted me with this. Much, much appreciated. It is a treasure.Happy Monday, Folks!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Had a great time teaching this weekend! Huge thanks to my students at Zinnia and Stampin From the Heart. I'm wiped out!! Fun weekend!!!!Above is a quick blast from the past page. Layers of acrylic, india ink, minimal collage, a love note to Mommy from Tristan, etc....

Saturday, May 21, 2011

This is the shelf by the window. If I don't keep the books in bags they get black from the L.A. dirt and grime.Books are: Camiila d' ErricoHoward FinsterBlue CanvasChe GuevaraDan Eldon's 2 booksCandy JerniganRepublic of Dreams by C. Garfield CrimminsMerchant of Marvels and the Peddler of DreamsPostcards from the Basque Country1000 on 42nd St (un) fashionEvery Brian Andreas book ever publishedCountry Diary of an Edwardian LadyInvincible Summer 1 and 2Doris: AnthologyTin House: Graphic IssueDrawing OutFrida by H. HerreraUndressed ArtAltered Art Books by Kerrie Carbary How to Draw a Cup of CoffeeWide OpenInternal AffairsMarry Your MuseCollage, Montage, Assemblagea few of my Corita Kent booksParis Made By HandFrom Here to ThereFlea Markets of FranceA HumumentBest Vintage, Antique and Collectible Shops in Parisand Parisian Encounters.Yeah, I love my books. Great day o' fun at Zinnia today! Trekking to Stampin From the Heart tomorrow. Yay! Can't wait!

Huge thank yous to all of you who took the time to respond to my journal prompt yesterday. I really enjoyed reading the responses. It got me thinking (well, a lot of things have me thinking at the moment and not all of them are positive and one of them is just ridiculously dumb and infuriating) about another prompt:

How do you let go of things that you have no control over? What do you do about things that piss you off and have you upset? How do you get it off of your mind? How do you let go?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I've been blog hopping today. Several posters (especially From Japan With Love) got me thinking today.How do you celebrate being alive?I'm not talking about birthday cakes and presents, but little things, the simple every day things that make us human. What makes you pause and smile? What makes you laugh or cry? What one small thing happened today that made you pause?Food for thought and something I'm going to expand upon and explore in my journal.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I'm taking a mini break from blogging. I am working furiously on something that is due on Friday. More tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope that you like the picture of the pussywillows that are in my kitchen making me happy!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Dear Tim,I've never met you, but I have heard wonderful things about you. You sell the best scissors on the face of the planet. Seriously.It's your tape that we need to talk about.You see, I'm a tape junkie. Washi paper tape. Deco plasticy tape. Cheap masking tape. Scotch tape. It's all good to me. If I can stick it down and it stays, I'm happy. I'm in love, even.Your tape?It doesn't stick. Look at the picture. It's the only tape (cheap masking tape, washi paper tape, hambly paper tape and your tape) that's coming up. This is what your tape does immediately. This is what your tape does even after I've smooshed it with my hand, a rag or even my bone folder.It makes me sad.I want to love to your tape. I love the designs. I love the color.I don't like how I have to use glue to stick it down. Especially when your tape is about $5 a roll. I don't like having to use glue on tape. It's decorative tape. It's supposed to stay down when you stick it down.Please fix this.I want to keep buying your tape. I want to recommend it. However, I can't and I won't until you fix this. I'm tired of spending my money on tape that doesn't play well with others and I don't want my students having the same experience.Come on, Tim. I know if anyone can make it better, you can.Best,In art paper, tape and inky fingers,Kelly

What do you get when you combine paper, ribbon, glue and a little special somethin’ something? A soft covered (but extremely durable), quickly stitched and totally made by your own hands journal! You will learn not only how to create your own Beautiful Life Journal but you will discover how to successfully blend color, texture and imagery together onto the pages of your book. You’ll create luscious layers that combine rich, personal imagery with colorful, textured bits of paper ephemera. I’ll dig deep into my bag of tricks for this class, unearthing and sharing what I know to be the key to creating unique, personal journal pages that you will love!

Work big, work fast (but not too fast) and work across the fold in this book created and bound by you! We’ll start by assembling this journal with a new and unique stitch! We’ll spread out across the page, creating luscious two page spreads learning new collage techniques as we work. Combine a multitude of ephemera and your own style to create uniquely blended, layered and richly colored, personal journal pages.

Who says that you can only use paint to create texture? In this class you will create a multitude of backgrounds (sans paint) while exploring hands on various texture techniques. Be prepared to layer, learn and have fun in this with a variety of mediums. The possibilities are endless and I will teach you everything I know while putting the FUN in the fundamentals of texture!

Supply list: journal (or the instructor will have paper for you to work on),scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks

Followed by:

Sacred Place

4 hours

Combine luscious handmade paper, waxed linen thread, glue, collage ephemera and a plethora of techniques to create this one of a kind journal handmade by you! I will dig deep into my bag of tricks and teach you what I know about working in this unique book! Learn composition, design, color, lettering and more as you work hands on in your new journal. Experiment with paper, tape, transparencies, stickers, rub ons and MORE! Think making a journal is difficult? You won’t after this class. If you want to focus the majority of class time on learning a variety of collage techniques and creating pages, then this is the class for you! You will walk out of class not only with a new journal but with your head full of new ideas and possibilities!

I've started work on a new journal (I'll show you soon). I'm already using several of the ideas from Journey of You in my new journal. I am excited about it! I have always loved mixing found ephemera with store bought ephemera and making it into something new and something that's your own. I used inexpensive materials specifically for The Journey of You class, limiting myself to old magazines, book images, old papers-nothing found in a paper store or art store. It has helped to expand the way that I look at things.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Watch out for the new warning label on washi paper tape. It should say, "Warning. Highly addictive. The company will not be held responsible for any addictive behavior that results from your purchase of this product. Nor will we be held liable for your incessant need of sticking said product on everything in sight."Speaking of tape, if you're in the L.A. area, Stampin From the Heart has the new Hambly tape in. Guess what I bought today?!?! I can't wait to try it!!! They also had in the new Tim Holtz paper and other fun goodies. I had a great day teaching there!! Thanks to my students and to Karen and the Gang! http://www.karen-stampinheart.blogspot.com/

Blogger has been having issues since Wednesday. My Wednesday night post and all of its comments disappeared. I'm hoping that they fix it. If not, I am hoping that backupify (a service I use that backs up websites) backed up my blog. We'll see!! If not, I will type it up again.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

I haven't posted a bookshelf picture in awhile. I can't pick any favorites as I think they're all worth checking out. One book I carried around with me for months and that I still go back often to is Print and Pattern Bowie Style. I love the colors and multitude of different patterns in this book. It's one big inspiration treasure trove. Check out the blog here:http://printpattern.blogspot.com/I know I'm weird but I love seeing other people's books. I often check out other people's books online. It's the only time that my eyes roam. I'm a book whore. There! I said it. It's true. I love me some books big time. I'm teaching my Love Story Journal at Stamping From the Heart in L.A. tomorrow (Fri) so if I don't respond to your email right away, you know where I am! There's still room in the class!!Those of you in No CA, stay tuned! I'll be announcing classes in Fremont July 8th and 9th very soon! I'm excited!!

"Why are YOU taking THAT class (or ANY class)? Don't you know how to do that already?"

My attitude is that we can all learn something new from any medium-even a medium that we've been working in for over a decade (or longer). There's always something new to learn even if it's just a new approach or an inspiration flame that gets you going and sets you off in a new direction. Taking classes should be FUN and most of all inspiring! It's all about how you look at things and how open you are to new ideas and approaches.

What are some classes you've taken that you've loved (in person or online)?

Huge thank yous to all of you who have expressed an interest or signed up for my new online class, Journey of You. I'm as excited about it as you are! I am getting ready to start a new journal and I can't wait to utilize my new ideas in future projects. I'm very interested in seeing how my students translate the ideas, too! It's always the best part of teaching! While out tonight I spotted a new book called Lovers by Peynet by Jean Plantu. It's a gorgeous book. I am looking forward to doing some research about the artist. I fell in love with the book and its drawings. http://amzn.to/iotttxHope everyone is having a good week. Anyone else spotted any good books lately? Inquiring bibliophiles want (need?) to know.

Monday, May 09, 2011

A guide to self expression utilizing simple tools you probably already have on hand.

In this e-book form course, you will learn how to construct a simple, made from scratch art journal (no sewing necessary)!

As I said before, this is the class that the scrapbook, rubber stamp and mixed media companies do not want you to take!

Why? In this workshop, you will learn how to create expressive collages using magazines or old books, a glue stick and a small handful of pens.

You do not need to go buy anything for this class. I want you to use what you have on hand already.

You will learn composition, design, journaling and a whole new way of looking at simple, every day things.

I loved working in this journal. It pushed me into thinking outside of my box using non-traditional items in a new way. It made me think about not only composition and design but also color, texture, shape, line and form. I am very excited to see what my students will create using this class as their guide.

Are there photos?

Yes, there are photos of my sample pages. You will also have the opportunity to upload and share (if you wish) your own sample pages.

Is there a handout?

YES! I am a firm believer in handouts. You will receive a detailed handout that you can download, save and print out. There are step by step instructions, tons of information, photos and more. There are also (new!) collage templates for you to use if you wish!

What's the supply list?

I really want you to use stuff that you already have on hand. For the pages, you need glue (a glue stick, gel medium, whatever adhesive you usually use for paper). You will need pens (again, use what you have on hand. I limited myself to a small handful of pens for this class-literally, I used like five pens. You need a pair of scissors, an old rag or paper towel for burnishing the images, a gluing surface (like an old catalog). You will need old magazines, catalogs or books for the collage part of the class. In my samples, I used magazine, catalog and book images only. I did not use anything pre-made (so no scrapbook paper, handmade paper, etc...). I did NOT use stickers, transparencies, washi tape, etc... I used simple, every day things from around the house to create my pages which is what I will be teaching you to use and how to see these things with a new eye.

I work full time, can I take this class at any time?

Yes! This is a work at your own pace class. You can sign up at any point. You will have full access to the class. I am always available to answer and respond to questions.

When does the class start?

The class is live now! Within 24 hours of you signing up, you will receive full information from me including the pdf file for the class and the link to sharing photos, discussions, etc...

How much does it cost?

$25 which you can pay via paypal (or if you prefer to send me a money order, you can email me for more information)

Please note there are no refunds once you receive the course materials.

Please also respect the amount of time, effort and work it took me to create this material. You can download, save and print out (or read it on your ipad, kindle, etc...) for personal use. I'm a one woman (very small) business and I work very hard at what I do. I strive to offer the best material possible. I'm always excited about what I teach and I hope that you get the most out of my classes. This helps to support my work and makes me able to offer more classes and come up new ideas!

If you teach children, feel free to work on the exercises with them! I don't mind people who teach kids using these ideas in classes! Get 'em started and hooked on art young is my motto!

Can I give the class as a gift?

Sure! If you email me or include a note with your payment, I will email the file to whomever you'd like.

Who is this class geared towards?

Everyone! I strive to make my classes accessible for beginners to advanced students. I have been working in and teaching this medium for over 14 years now and I learn something new with every workshop.

I have a busy summer ahead of me, should I take this workshop now?

When I came up with the idea for this class, I was teaching and traveling. I used the limited supplies and the tools I had with me to create the book and to start work on the pages. The size, weight and portability, along with the limited amount of supplies you need make this the perfect journal for life on the go or close to home. It's small enough that you can put it in your purse with a glue stick and a pen. I love sticking my collage ephemera, a couple of pens and a glue stick in a baggie with the journal. I'm all about portability and ease!

This class does not close so you can take the workshop ANY time and work at your own pace! Once you've signed up for The Journey of You, you are in the workshop!

How do I sign up?

Click the paypal button below or email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net more more info!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Happy Sunday! Happy Weekend! Happy Mother's Day!Where you are, whatever you may be doing, may your day be filled with love, peace and all things good! If you're lucky, you'll find some art time in there, too.My boys are very good to me. They spoiled me rotten with iced tea and french toast (both made by Tristan), pussywillows (one of my favorite plants along with lilies of the valley, which I've never seen outside of Massachusetts) and lots of love. Thank you both.Happy Mother's Day to my Mom! Xoxoxo!

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Sad news, my friends. I found out that Lori Zimmermann, one of my friends and students, passed away earlier today. I had no idea that she was sick. Many of you who are involved in the mixed media scene may remember Lori. She had a great laugh and was always juggling many art projects at one time. I always enjoyed having her in my classes or running into her in my travels. She brought such fabulous energy and spirit to our mixed media world. She was passionate and involved in the art scene, pouring her heart and soul into everything she created.She will be very much missed.http://lorizartmaniac.blogspot.com/

Friday, May 06, 2011

Don't forget! Tomorrow (Saturday) is Free Comic Book Day across the U.S. I'll be at my local comic book shops (Golden Apple and Meltdown Comics), will you? http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Remember, comics aren't just for kids nor are they all superhero, action packed comics. Some of my favorite comic publishers are:Drawn and Quarterly FantagraphicsTop ShelfThose three publishers should keep you busy for some time. They publish the likes of Lynda Barry, Chris Ware, Eddie Campbell, Carol Tyler to name a few.If you click on any link today, please take the time to go here:http://zenatplay.com/offerings/23thingsI guarantee that it will make you smile. What are your plans this weekend? I hope you find some art time!! Happy Weekend!!!!!

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Working like a madwoman on my new online class. It's coming. I wanted to announce it this week, but it's not quite ready yet. I always strive to bring you my very best. I'll tell you this much, this is a class that the scrapbook and rubber stamp companies, the whole mixed media industry does not want you to take.Now back to work!

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Yay! Finally some good news! The ongoing apartment saga is finally over (for now-cue evil laughter). They installed the blinds today (as you can see above). The blind that's all the way to the left was too short, so the guy went out and bought one that's supposedly temporary (I'll believe it when I see them replace it). At this point, I don't care. I just want window coverings and them outta here so we can move on.

Anyways, now I can finally start to rearrange the living room/a.k.a. my art corner the way I want it to be! The little shelves that are right next to the window are going to be for my tiny little kid robot dunnys and toys that I have collected (I have always been a huge fan of tiny toys. I still have all of my little toys from when I was younger). I want to keep the stamp cabinet (for now). My bookcase is staying. There's a space between the cabinet and the bookcase that size wise is awkward. We can't move anything else so it has to stay like that. We've been looking for a bookcase or shelving unit to put there but it's just an odd size space and I don't have a lot of money to shell out for a unit at the moment. We'll figure something out and when I finish arranging it, I'll post it here so you can see where I make my art and how I store my stuff.

Monday, May 02, 2011

The above pages are from February.I'm using my journal to work things out and to process various emotions that are flooding through me at this time. It is during times like this that I need my journal the most.“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert EinsteinPeace.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

In the previous post you'll see that I called an art journal a "glorified scrapbook". This pissed off quite a few people. I did not mean to do so in any way and several people are misunderstanding what I meant.

You should know that I am not a fan of labels in any form. I have had people call my work art journaling, altered books, scrapbooking, art, craft, etc... The only one that gets my goat is craft as in crafting as in hobby. I do not craft as a hobby. (I am not talking about artisans and craftsman. I am talking about craft as in hobby as in finding something to do to occupy your time). I make stuff because I have to. To me, working in my art journal and expressing myself is as necessary as oxygen, food and shelter. It keeps me happy, healthy and (hopefully) sane.

All that being said, I do not like labels. Labels keep us in boxes. Labels do not allow us to grow. Labels do not allow us to become anything that we want to be.

So what the hell do I mean when I say that an art journal is a glorified scrapbook?

There are many different kinds of art journal keepers, just as many as there are different kinds of scrapbook keepers. I can only speak from my own experiences and the reasons why I keep an art journal.

I started with diary keeping. I would write, draw, stamp and put stickers on lined notebook paper kept in a binder. I did that for a very long time. I called it a diary.

When my son was born, I very proudly made him two full albums (they're quite fat!) documenting his life from birth to about 6 months of age. I called them scrapbooks.

I was still keeping a diary in some form or another.

I also made my husband a big, fat scrapbook with bits and pieces stuck in of how we met, married, etc...

It was at this time that I began selling and making greeting cards. I began teaching classes on card making. I quickly grew bored with it (again, this is ME talking) especially with having to work assembly line style so often and being limited to bunnies and bears in what the shops wanted from me to sell. I taught myself bookbinding.

The lightbulb went on. The diary, the scrapbook, the bookbinding all became one.

I poured my heart and soul into these books. I wrote. I drew. I stuck things in them. I painted in them. I talked about my daily life. I bitched. I talked about anything and everything on my mind.

Scrapbooking vs. art journaling discussions become very heated and they start to pop up. Flame wars begin. People got incensed over absolute rubbish.

Yes, I will admit that I do not call what I do scrapbooking, but I don't grow horns and a tail if others do. I used to (grow horns and a tail that is), but not anymore. Why? Because, like my journals that have grown and changed so much over the years, I have also grown and changed in my thinking.

Someone picks up a book-any book-a blank book, a photo album, an old book, a book made by their own hands and starts to cut and paste things into it. Maybe they pick up some paint and paint the pages. Maybe they draw in it or stick stickers into it. Then they pick up their pen and they write. They pour their heart out onto the page. They've created a page where they've expressed themselves completely and fully in the moment. That to me is the most important aspect to creating a "whatever you want to call it."

I've often said that there are cookie cutter scrapbookers (this is not an insult, only a statement-hang on for a minute while I explain) but there are also cookie cutter art journal artists. Now don't go getting all indignant and your panties in a bunch on me. There are folks who want to cut and paste and paint and stamp and stick things onto pages. They're happy documenting daily lives or whatever. They're happy trying out techniques that they saw in a book or a magazine. They're happy imitating Teesha Moore or Ali Edwards. They often don't write their own words in their books. They use quotes, song lyrics, book passages, etc... They're happy with what they do. If they're happy with what they are doing, then I'm happy for them.

Yet, if that were me, I would want something more. I do not think that there is anything wrong in learning from another artist and imitating their style. Yet, there comes a point when you should want something more. You should want to take what you've learned and make it your own.

There comes a point when you move beyond the simple act of just painting pages or just cutting and pasting into the realm of asking yourself, why are you doing what you are doing? Why are you going from just a simple scrapbook (cut and pasting every day life) into something more, glorified? Why is there something inside you that is nagging you into moving into a new, uncharted territory (yes, even if others have gone there, it is always new for YOU and don't you forget that!)??

My advice is not to worry about it. The whole acid free scrapbooking thing is a joke. The minute your hands touch anything acid free and archival go right out the window. I don't worry about it.

I think it was Picasso who said he didn't worry about it. He'd let the museum archivists take care of it.

You can always coat your pieces with gel medium. Gel medium won't yellow and once it's dry, it's not going anywhere. You can also use uv varnishes, etc... to protect your work. I don't recommend coating your journal pages, however. If it's warm, your pages could stick together. Whenever I work in my journals, I only put the glue on the back. I also primarily use a glue stick.

I make art for me and for now. I figure that scrapbooks from 100+ years ago are still around. Art journaling is glorified scrapbooking. I'd like them to last for my son. I keep them away from direct sunlight and I try to dust them every now and then.

Make art for you and for now. Use what makes you happy. That's my advice.